The present disclosure relates to a heat exchanger for an aircraft and, in particular, to using a thermoelectric device to regulate the heat of fuel used to cool a controller of the aircraft.
An aircraft has a number of electronic controllers used to control operation of the aircraft. One such controller manages the function of the aircraft engines and is commonly known as a Full Authority Digital Engine Control or FADEC. The FADEC is generally installed in an environment of the aircraft susceptible to both very high temperatures and very low temperatures. For example, the FADEC may be installed in the engine bay where large amounts of heat are generated during flight conditions. In these conditions, the FADEC requires a substantial amount of cooling to regulate its operating temperature. When the aircraft is not in flight, however, the engine bay may be extremely cold when ambient air temperature is low. At these conditions, the FADEC requires very little, if any, cooling.
The FADEC, like many aircraft controls, is composed of electronic components that require moderate and uniform temperatures for optimal operation. The large temperature swings experienced by the FADEC is not conducive to the best performance of these temperature sensitive components. While there are electronic components that are capable of performing at the extreme temperature conditions of the aircraft, these components are generally very expensive and have relatively low performance (memory, process, reliability, or speed) compared to most modern electronics.
A need therefore exists for an assembly and technique that maintains the electronics of an aircraft controller within their designed operating temperatures.